It's curious, it's mysterious, it makes you furious,
The places where you find love
There's no plan, it's a man, it's a woman
It's heaven and it's human and there's nothing better going
It's the taste of danger, it's sex with a stranger
It's the last man on earth, it's a dog in a manger
So let's hear it.. for love
If gospel-tinged anthems like “I Promise You” and “Message From Heaven” come off as perfunctory, Owen hits a confident groove with the cabaret-like “Shine,” a slouchy number about a misfit daughter coming into her own (it’s worth noting that Owen’s father is an esteemed Welsh opera singer), and the country-rock waltz “Who’s That Girl,” a wry cautionary tale about jealousy. She winds up with a rousing pair of rockers, “Mother Mercy” and “Wide Road,” which – despite a little more orchestration than they really need – could hold their own alongside classic Carole King or Joni Mitchell tracks.
New isn’t exactly the right word for this album — most of it was written and recorded eight years ago, when Judith was still on Capitol’s Java Records label. When Capitol let her fall through the cracks (she’s since found a home on Courgette Records), that material went into limbo. Only now has Owen rescued them from undeserved retirement, though several tracks were re-recorded to reflect what eight years has added to her artistry.
The fact that Owen could still relate to those eight-year-old songs suggests how idiosyncratic her work is. When you follow your own muse instead of what everybody else is doing, you can afford to let material simmer for nearly a decade. Judith Owen may not be to everybody’s taste – that’s one dark view of human nature she’s packing – but her eclectic musical sound and biting lyrics push all the right buttons for me.
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